The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-08-13

1t was little after ntne o'clock tonight
when the big bell in the City Hall tower
doomed out the number OF box pa fire
in the business centre of the city.
Four hours later tho centre OF the
square bounded by Fifth, Wood and Smith.
field streets and Virgin alley was smoul-
dering ruin, and million dollars OF prop
erty had been consumed. 1t was the tmost
disastrous FIRE since the great Pittsburgh
riots OF decade ago. The flames started in
the rear OF the Masonic building, presuma.
bly, in the basement Of Campbell & Dicks
carpet store. On three sides were solid
brick buildings forming a quadrangle,
encompassing aquarter of an aero OF tin.
der boxes. Alarm after alarm followed eec&,
other, and within AZ. minutes five districts
were on tho ground. But hose aud en-.
gines and trucks and axes were power.
lees to deal with the blazing fur
mace that, glowered in seethed defiance
to two score nozztes in the hands Of
a hundred 6remen. On the eest eide was
the loftiest building in the city the Hsmil.
ton, which lowered nine stories above the
flames that licked its base. Seven stories
from the ground it presented a solid wall
Of brick, which offered no opening
for the iiremen to work upon that
side. The front on Fifth avenue also
prevent an advantageous placing OF the
6remen, and with the roaring FIRE in.
creaeing in volume and extent st every
second, there were but two sides at which
the fireman co1ld work. The rear was a
narrow alley, and with all the odds
against them, the firemen seemed to
have been called to hopeless contest
with the fames. But they rallied on the
second story roofs at the west side while
half dozen Btreams guided in on Fifth
avenue. g O.. AZ, s . ,
The firemen could not get within bun.
dred feet Of the fiery crater, though at
WORK at some elevation from the hottest
OF the fire. It Binged their! hair and
scorched their eyebsllB, but the thunder.
ing engines seemed to be but in idle play
for all the headway made ageinnt tho fire.
There was not much wind, end the sparks
and the burning 6rebrands shot out from
the pile OF flame and SCARED laz!ly over
the roofs OF the business blocks on both
sides OF Fifth avenue. On svery roof Tor
two squares were men with buckets and
eztinsuishers putting ont the spsrks an d
brands that dropped in o heavy shower
over the buildings for aeolid aquare.
THE LuRID TONGUES or FLAME
seemed to attract half the city. Fifth
avenue, 9 narrow thoroughfare, was one
solid impossible jam. Through this
crowd the firenen had to lay their lines
with the aid Of squads Of policemen, who
alone could enforce respect by a free use
OF maces. Section after section OF hose
were bursted by the high pressure under
which the engines were working, diff.
entity that was increased by tho tramping
Of thousand OF feet 4; upon Z. the
lines. At IL P. NJ. the surging 1smeo
rolled in ascending pillows to the height
OF the roofs upon which the p!pemsn were
stationed, and 1t then seemed that the
destruction OF the entire block and
81. 900, 000 Z worth Of property was in.
eyitable. It was at this! hour thu,
the Hamilton building, + five q storier
higher than the structures which flanked
it, caught from the rackling area Of white
hot Goals that. glowrd alongside. i Thu
loDgeat ladders were far too short to reach
the elevation at which the second stage q
the contagtation began. Tho Hamilton
structure extends entirely through In,
block TO Virgin alley. a long ladder WA
run mp the rear and a detail Of firem az
toiled upward with line Of hose
when the fifth story windew had beer
almost reached the water was turned OF